


Newton's Third

by Davechicken



Series: Kylux - Fluff & Angst [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 05:07:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5899381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Davechicken/pseuds/Davechicken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For @kyluxcollective, who gave me a prompt I had to fill (in the notes after). </p><p>Law III: To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Newton's Third

All the right words tripped off his tongue as he looked up at the holo of his far-distant Master. The Supreme Leader wished to see him in person for the first time in... well. For the first real time. It’s what Kylo Ren had been waiting for, the moment his training would be complete. He’d done (almost) everything that had been asked of him, followed every order, listened to every lesson. He’d murdered, he’d pushed himself, he’d pushed _others_ and he’d bled himself almost to death for this... so he should feel more... something? Anything. Anything whatsoever. 

The flickering, blue-toned figure turned his attention to the man beside him, then, and Kylo could feel a little of the pressure sliding from his shoulders as he lost the spotlight.

It was supposed to help; killing Han Solo. It was supposed to snap the final tie to the Light, free him to his own destiny. An umbilical cord finally severed ( ~~though Snoke had never had the sense to point his rage to his actual mother~~ ), allowing him free rein of the galaxy. Free **reign** of the galaxy.

Instead, he stood to strict attention, hands by his sides, mask upturned and... he felt... nothing. He felt absolutely nothing whatsoever, other than the faintest traces of panic and unease at the lack, the loss. Not of _Han_ , but of... himself. He should feel overjoyed at his success. He should feel pleased to have dealt such a crushing blow to the Resistance. He should feel anger at the Scavenger girl for stealing his birthright. He should feel... **anything whatsoever but this empty, cold, bottomless pit**.

They were dismissed, and he didn’t even notice. The holo faded, and it was only when there came a quiet, cautious clearing of a throat that his head turned under the cowl.

Snoke was gone, the conversation over, and General Hux was clearly wondering why he wasn’t following him out. The shorter man had already turned slightly, and was glancing back over his shoulder towards him.

“Ren?”

Kylo shook his head, though he was not wholly sure why. What it meant. Just that he did it. 

“Do you need to go to the medical bay again?”

“No.” No. The wounds to his body were healing, by degrees. Slowly. Not perfectly, though. He’d forever bear the marks of his defeat out in the snow, and that... that was okay. It deserved to be remembered, it... was only right that his body match his—

“I think you should have them check you over. Are...” and Kylo watched as an internal battle waged over the other’s face. “...are you...” It never quite resolved into a full question, and Kylo was almost intrigued enough to wonder what he was trying so inexpertly to say. Hux, who could wax lyrical about different kinds of boot polish, or about mass murder, or about the proper attire for a formal parade... at a loss for words.

“I am fine. I was merely... contemplating my training.”

Contemplating my training. It was an easy way of saying ‘having my third existential crisis of the day’. They had been happening with terrifying frequency, and ever-deepening impact. Only today... today it didn’t click. Inside. It was like watching someone else experience it, and not being able to empathise with them. Like a story told that never touched the heart.

A tiny nod of his head, surprisingly not cruel, and Hux’s boots snapped together at the heel. “As you insist.” 

Kylo watched him leave for a moment, but he didn’t follow suit.

It wasn’t as if he even had anywhere to go.

***

At some point, it became an unspoken thing. One of those peculiarities of people who worked so closely together, that it just _was _. Kylo didn’t eat around others, because it meant he had to remove his mask. His whole public persona depended upon his distance from ‘Human’ and ‘fallible’, so he never removed it in public. Ever.__

__Even General Hux hadn’t seen him without it until that... until... the thing. With the girl. And the unfortunate escape. And _then_ he’d seen him not only unmasked, but all but helpless and beaten on the Starkiller surface, and after that there wasn’t really any need to keep up the pretence around him any longer._ _

__Once someone saw you shivering yourself to death, trying to curl up in the snow and will your body to keep going through massive internal organ failure and the aftermath of adrenaline and endorphins, when they saw you bloodied and battered and beaten and lost to despair... they’d pretty much seen the worst they could ever, ever see._ _

__So when Hux arrived with his own meal tray one lunchtime and swept his coat tails to one side to sit, and pulled his gloves off, finger by finger, Kylo had stared at him. And stared. And Hux had ignored the looks and started eating._ _

__Kylo hadn’t been eating. Not much. Not enough. He’d not wanted to, out of some idiotic sense of... self-hatred? Disgust? He’d refused any and all pain meds, deciding, instead, to use the agony as fuel, as a reminder ~~because he deserved it~~. He wondered if Hux had been instructed to ensure that the Supreme Leader’s most trusted Knight didn’t somehow self-destruct, and that’s why he now dined with him, but... without asking, he’d never know._ _

__And now they just did it, as a matter of course. On days when operational disasters didn’t interfere with the schedule, they would take the time out of their day to sit together. Sometimes it was in Hux’s office, sometimes it was in the command commissary, and sometimes it was in one or other of their quarters. Any antagonism of the day was left at the door, and for that part of every cycle they were... not enemies. Not even tense. They might have disagreed very vocally about some decision or another only minutes before, but the sanctity of this little oasis of calm was inviolate._ _

__Kylo... enjoyed it. Even with his Knights, he had to forever be their Master. Had to always be the strong one, the one who could cow them into line. Any weakness he might show would be an exposed nerve for one of the Knights to tap on, a space for a blade to slide in and render him null and void. There was plenty that it was impossible to discuss with non-Force-sensitives, but frankly... his Knights weren’t the kind of people he’d choose to associate with, if he had the option to pick and choose._ _

__Hux, at least, would stab you in the face. Not in the back. He’d come full throttle towards you, and you’d know you were doomed. If he disliked you, then you knew. He didn’t schmooze up to you like a sycophant, or pay false lip-service to you, or say one thing and do another. He was straight-forward, but not simple._ _

__Genuine. Or as genuine as anyone on the _Finalizer_ could be. _ _

__Kylo’s mask sat to the left, where two pairs of black gloves sat, too. Today’s staple was something from Bespin, though the First Order hadn’t mastered catering for the masses any better than the Empire likely had. Even the top ranks such as himself and Hux still had less exciting food than most ‘free’ folk. Kylo pushed some meat-analogue around with his fork, and contemplated shredding it to nothing with the Force._ _

__“Are you going to tell me, or not?”_ _

__Kylo knew he was breaking the rules of their arrangement, unspoken as they were. He didn’t look up when he asked the question, but he sensed the other man doing so._ _

__“Tell you what, Ren?”_ _

__“Why you’re so tense, all of a sudden.”_ _

__“I’m not.”_ _

__They should probably have left it at that, but... something in the air, something in his shoulders, something in his... _aura_. Subtle, but it begged for attention. The tiny tic at the right hand corner of his mouth. The way his nails were trimmed even shorter than usual when his gloves were pulled clean. The way his breathing felt a little shallower, a little more pained. It had been getting worse for days, now, and Kylo wasn’t sure why._ _

__He could have found out why. Could have made Hux surrender the information, but that would have been a step too far, even for him._ _

__Kylo put down his fork. “You can’t lie to me, Hux. With or without the Force. You’ve been on edge since we—” Left the Starkiller planet to die. Was that it? “The planet?”_ _

__“No.” The knife scraping against metal was an agony to hear._ _

__“It meant a lot to you.”_ _

__“Ren, enough.”_ _

__Kylo frowned. They never discussed work when they ate together, but they also didn’t talk much about anything. Did Hux simply want to do this to hear someone else breathing, or did he do it because he was ordered to, or... “You’re upset. And I want to understand why. You know as well as I do that neither of us can talk to anyone else on this Force-damned ship. So unless you’re hiring a counsellor sworn to silence for us, then if we have something we need to talk about, we do it here, or not at all.”_ _

__He surprised himself by that outburst, and blinked in the aftermath of it. He’d never really... wanted someone to confide in before. Or... maybe he had. Maybe he had, but the fear of appearing weak, of showing his hand, had choked him dry. The only place he’d ever been able to air his own concerns had been to the death mask of a long-past grandfather._ _

__From the blinking he got in response, Hux was taken aback, too. He watched as the General’s pale skin got pinker, and his mouth fell slightly agape. The moment stretched out interminably long, and Kylo kept thinking ‘this is it, this is when he gets up, this is when we never speak of this again’..._ _

__“It’s... not just the Starkiller.”_ _

__But it was, in part. Of course. Kylo had never liked the stupid thing, but he knew how fervent Hux had been about it. Maybe if Kylo hadn’t had the Force, he’d have felt the same way._ _

__“Then what is it?”_ _

__Pale eyes skittered away, under pretence of examining food to cut it some more._ _

__“Security.”_ _

__This was worse than Jedi training. Kylo bit the inside of his mouth as he told himself not to just damn well take what he wanted right from his head. “Security?”_ _

__“The... flaws. The... weaknesses. The protocol and organisational... issues... that meant it was possible...”_ _

__Kylo realised, as he was talking, that this was excruciatingly painful for Hux to admit. He took every single minute mistake as a personal affront, and acknowledging the fact they existed, that they’d destroyed his... brain-child... an unfamiliar wave of sympathy coursed through him, and he tried to stomp it down._ _

__“I am sure you did everything within your power to avoid it.”_ _

__“Did I?” Thin lips, thinner smile. “We’ll soon see. We’re not heading directly to the Supreme Leader, Ren. We’re on a detour, first.”_ _

__Kylo had suspected as much, on account of them still not having got there. “Where to?”_ _

__“To pick up the Troubleshooter: Shalane Equilan.”_ _

__***_ _

__Kylo had heard her name before, but never had cause to meet her. It was a blessing, most whispers about her would say. If you never met the Troubleshooter, then you hadn’t fucked up hard enough._ _

__And that was a **very good thing**. _ _

__The _Finalizer_ went into geo-synchronous orbit above some First Order controlled planet or another – name as unimportant as most – and General Hux sent down the best shuttlecraft they had: Kylo’s own _Upsilon_ class. _ _

__He didn’t ask permission, but Kylo would have granted it, anyway._ _

__He also wasn’t asked to attend the hangar when she came aboard, but morbid curiosity (and that alone, not some misguided desire to offer moral support) meant he arrived shortly after the General did._ _

__They exchanged a look (or half of one, his own was masked and oblique) and then they stood side by side, waiting. Captain Phasma was on the other side of where the access ramp would fall open, a small gaggle of highly-trained troops ready to show their support. Or... something. Kylo never understood the need soldiers had to flock together like small, evil, angry birds._ _

__The tension and anger and fear was like the smoke around a fire, pungent and stinging, a sign of flames below. If it wasn’t for the fact that Hux in a bad mood could literally make life even less tolerable, he might have enjoyed it._ _

__“Equilan,” he said, with the tiniest of bows of his head to the newcomer._ _

__“Is that how you greet me?”_ _

__Kylo watched with something akin to pleased horror as the minute woman (long, dark hair caught in a ponytail behind her head, coat thrown over the shoulders but not the arms, expression as severe as a Jedi Master confronted with a smile) walked straight up to Hux and stopped so far into his personal space that Kylo wondered if she had depth-perception issues._ _

__“The Supreme Leader has—”_ _

__“It’s always business, first, isn’t it? And you still need me to clean up your messes. You’d think with the amount of care you put into your _work_ that you’d be flawless by now. Maybe you just want the excuse to see me?”_ _

__And then the Troubleshooter – the Supreme Leader’s go-to-fixer – patted General Hux on the cheek. And didn’t get shot. In the head. Or anywhere._ _

__Kylo stared in something akin to awe._ _

__“Get my things taken to my quarters. I’m going to investigate your crew and morale, first.”_ _

__Hux was at a loss for words, somehow... floored. Kylo had never seen it happen before._ _

__“You heard the woman,” Captain Phasma jumped in, to the rescue. “At once.”_ _

__***_ _

__Hux didn’t show for their next dinner-date. He just was nowhere to be seen. Kylo waited as long as he could, then left his food untouched and put his mask back on. He poked one of the terminals, asking where Hux was, and was given a ‘do not disturb’ response._ _

__Which was... unusual. Hux didn’t really broadcast his whereabouts, but he’d never actively concealed them before. Kylo tried a few more things before realising Hux was actively blocking him, and then he played his own card._ _

__He had Hux’s credentials. He’d been saving them for a rainy day, but this was one. He fooled the terminal into thinking he had Hux’s authority, and then used the internal biometrics to locate him._ _

__Officer’s gym. Currently marked as closed. Hux would go there, but not often. He was less inclined to physical exercise than most of the troops, and Kylo had only caught him there very occasionally, and never alone._ _

__Well, there was a first time for everything._ _

__***_ _

__Kylo snicked the doors open, and walked in on silent feet. The gym was empty, the lights down low. There was no music playing (the officers had more leeway where that was concerned than the grunts did), but the sound of constant footfalls and heavy breathing filled the air._ _

__Hux was pounding out a gruelling pace on a treadmill, his arms swinging violently with each punishing slap of his feet to the ribbon. He was wearing a simple undershirt and exercise shorts, and Kylo was amused to see he was human, after all, under all those layers._ _

__(The mirroring was, perhaps, lost on him for the time being.)_ _

__Sweat stuck his hair back, and plastered his shirt to his shoulderblades, and made his muscles gleam. He was much more built than his uniform suggested. No Phasma, not by a long-shot, but still in peak condition. Kylo had to admire the fury he ran with, the emotional undercurrent to every last..._ _

__“Ren!”_ _

__It was strangled out, and hands slapped at buttons as the General tried not to fall in his shock, stopping the training aid and looking horror-struck._ _

__“What are you doing here?”_ _

__“You missed dinner, General.”_ _

__“I was busy. It happens.”_ _

__Kylo watched, head to one side, as Hux grabbed a towel and patted himself down thoroughly with it. He seemed even more flustered at being caught here, and Kylo didn’t know why._ _

__“Do you intend on standing there, once you accused me of standing you up, or was there some other reason you took up stalking me, Lord Ren?”_ _

__He ignored the implications, and cut straight in to: “Would you like me to assist your training?”_ _

__It was a simple offer. Clearly Hux was here for a reason, a reason he wanted to conceal. Conceal from even him. But now he was here, he might as well assist, right?_ _

__“...why?”_ _

__Kylo shrugged. “You could do with someone to push you.”_ _

__“But... why?” The towel dropped down to one shoulder, blue eyes glaring furiously at him._ _

__“Who else will?”_ _

__That made his eyes avert, and Kylo wondered how he’d misspoken. The other man stepped down from the treadmill, walking over to the barbell and weights. He watched as Hux prepped himself, then lay down on the bench and put his hands up to the bar._ _

__Kylo was perfectly capable of just using the Force, but he went over to help manually, anyway._ _

__“The least you can do is take off that damn mask if you’re going to be my personal trainer, Ren.”_ _

__“Why? I’m not eating.”_ _

__“And I’m not letting a proto-Sith in hiding be my spotter. Take the damn thing off.”_ _

__Kylo considered refusing, but... no one knew they were here. Both of them had made sure of that. He rolled his eyes, and pulled it up and off. He placed it gently on the neighbouring bench, and set to work with the metal weights. There were, of course, other ways of training upper body strength, but even now the low-tech solutions sometimes were the best._ _

__The first thirty – forty – fifty repetitions went by without a word other than ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘thanks’. Hux was throwing himself into this with gusto, and he would be sore in the morning. Kylo was carefully monitoring his health to ensure he didn’t pull something, or over-do a stretch, ready to use his abilities to prevent any lasting injury. The slight burn of exercise pain, though... that was clearly a major part of this. Hux wanted the sting, wanted the endorphins, wanted the release. He’d never pegged him as an exercise junkie, so he wondered what had changed._ _

__“Equilan.” Just one word, just the Troubleshooter’s name. Hux said it, around about the time when most men would consider breaking for a refill of water to replenish lost fluids._ _

__“The Troubleshooter.”_ _

__A nod._ _

__“This is about more than just the Starkiller, isn’t it?” Kylo was beginning to find the threads, the underlying weave supporting the pattern. “More than just professional pride.”_ _

__“...I am still—”_ _

__“I know.”_ _

__Hux put the bar back in place, and draped an arm across his face, shielding his eyes. “She and I... we... were an item, once.”_ _

__Kylo nearly choked. He just – Hux? And the Troubleshooter?_ _

__“You... and she...?”_ _

__“We were together for a few months, yes. I haven’t seen her since. She was sent to... debug my superior’s system, and... we...” Hux sat up, turning his back to Kylo. “It was a tempestuous, and torrid affair. Then she was posted elsewhere, and I remained behind.”_ _

__“Had you wanted to end it?”_ _

__Since when did he give relationship talks? Kylo was somewhat baffled by the whole sorry affair. For one: General Hux did personal relationships. For two: he apparently liked short, angry women. For three: he liked women who put their career before him. For four: ...did there need to be a four?_ _

__“It doesn’t matter.”_ _

__“Why not?”_ _

__Silence, and Hux reached for his water at last. He took a long swig, and shook his head. “It’s over. But...” Tension, in his shoulders. “I suspect she wants to continue where we left off.”_ _

__“Can’t you just tell her no?”_ _

__Or Force-choke her. Or get someone else to Force-choke her. Or airlock her. Or..._ _

__A long pause. Long. Long._ _

__“She doesn’t... take... ‘no’ for an answer, Ren.” The bottle upended over his head, and Kylo watched as Hux drenched himself with the remnants. “And I can’t spend my entire life in here. Eventually, someone else will notice.”_ _

__That was a dilemma. “I could kill her.”_ _

__Hux laughed, and turned his head to blink water from his eyes and look up at him. “I think the Supreme Leader would be annoyed if you executed his Troubleshooter, when she was brought aboard to... fix my mistakes.”_ _

__“...then... how else can we dissuade her?”_ _

__“Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve been trying to work out how ever since I was told we had to pick her up. She is... relentless.”_ _

__Kylo bit his lip, and ran through ideas. “Would she respect a pre-existing claim?”_ _

__“A... what?”_ _

__“If you were unavailable. Would she respect that, or attempt to woo you regardless?”_ _

__“Ren. There are strict orders about fraternising with subordinates. I—”_ _

__“I’m not in your chain of command. I’m parallel to it.”_ _

__Kylo didn’t stop the words coming out, but maybe he should have. Especially considering how- despite the workout – Hux suddenly went pale as a Stormtrooper’s helmet._ _

__“...you...”_ _

__“It would make sense. You and I are... peers. And we do spend much time together. And you said yourself that you are forbidden from forming relationships with your minions. It would... be... logical. For us to... fraternise. And then she would have to either respect my claim on you, or challenge the Master of the Knights of Ren.”_ _

__“I’m not a bloody pawn, Ren. You can’t just pass me around to the person who pisses longest or last on me.”_ _

__“I have no intention of urinating on you, or anything else. I was merely offering you a believable fiction. She may well think twice about challenging _me_. We would merely have to stage a few interactions, without any untoward behaviour, and then that would keep her from your back until we could drop her on whatever planet she has to terrorise next.”_ _

__There was a long, long pause. Long. Brown eyes on blue, as the two men considered what would be required._ _

__“I get to break it off,” the General said._ _

__“Our fictional relationship? Fine.” Although it kind of hurt, considering it would be staged for Hux’s benefit. But if that’s what he needed... “I will publicly loathe you more than I already do, if so.”_ _

__“I would expect nothing less.”_ _

__“Then... it’s settled.”_ _

__Hux snorted, just a little. “I’ve never fake-dated a Force user before.”_ _

__Kylo wasn’t going to reply. He hadn’t fake-dated anyone._ _

__***_ _

__The problem with fake-dating someone who was as private as Hux was, was that they were private. And so was Kylo Ren. Neither man would be prone to huge public displays of affection. In fact, the more they thought about it, the more obvious it became to them that they... well. They could have been dating all along and no one would have been any the wiser._ _

__Which is why they were sitting in Hux’s quarters, trying to brainstorm ways to out their ‘relationship’. Which wouldn’t end up in the Supreme Leader calling them to ask, or with the troopers gossiping, or... any of it._ _

__They couldn’t dine publicly, not with Kylo’s mask. The same went for kissing. People would probably look away if they saw Hux locked at the lips with anyone, and without his mask, even dressed all in black, the thirty second glimpse anyone would get wouldn’t be enough. They wouldn’t say ‘darling’, they wouldn’t hold hands, they wouldn’t throw any _more_ sexual innuendo in front of people, and... really... they’d just be already happily together._ _

__Probably the only thing they could do would be to move to one set of quarters, and that would just be plain odd._ _

__“We could just as Phasma to drop it into conversation...” Kylo said, rather desperately._ _

__“How would that even work? ‘Here’s how I lowered the shield and was put into the garbage chute, and Hux and Ren are dating’?”_ _

__“Ren and Hux.”_ _

__“What?”_ _

__“My name should come first,” Kylo argued._ _

__“...why?”_ _

__“Because.”_ _

__“No, my name comes first.”_ _

__Kylo frowned. “You didn’t even want to date me.”_ _

__“We’re not dating!”_ _

__“We’re supposed to be!”_ _

__Hux pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. “Maybe I should fake-date Phasma instead, and take the disciplinary action that comes with it.”_ _

__“So now I’m not good enough for you?”_ _

__“Kylo, I never said that, it’s just...”_ _

__The Darksider froze. “You... that’s it.”_ _

__“What?”_ _

__“You use my first name. In front of her.”_ _

__“...what?”_ _

__“Call me Kylo. She will know something is up.”_ _

__“...you honestly think that will work?”_ _

__He nodded. “It’s what you’d do. You wouldn’t kiss me – even if I didn’t wear my helmet. You’d make some tiny mistakes, and then she’d read between the lines.” Kylo didn’t add that it made him feel strange to hear just his first name, not his last, or both, on the other’s lips._ _

__“...you might even have a point.”_ _

__***_ _

__Kylo was beginning to think relationships were the most ridiculous thing ever invented. How did people even do them? So far they’d slipped names in, and been more obvious about their dinner dates. That was it. Trying to second-guess what an uptight, disciplined, self-controlled General and a fierce, assertive, dangerous Darksider would do was exhausting._ _

__It wasn’t as if they would have pet names for one another. Frankly. Kylo suspected he’d still call the man ‘General’ if they were in the throes of something. And he was sure they’d still snipe at one another._ _

__So frankly, there wouldn’t be much difference. Except he’d actually be getting real-laid instead of fake-laid. Which – yeah._ _

__Phasma had taken to looking at them weirdly. It was strange how she managed to convey so much emotion in such rigid armour, but then Kylo could also convey a whole bevy of feelings behind his own. At least his was stylish, black, and flexible, though. She just looked like she needed constant polishing, and he wondered if she regularly went to the bathroom to wipe off smudges from the patina._ _

__And worse still, the damned Troubleshooter hadn’t – to his knowledge – made a single move on Hux. So either his plan was working perfectly (hah), or Hux had grossly miscalculated his own appeal towards short, angry, problem-solving women._ _

__Also, what the hell kind of a relationship had those two even had? Because – what the hell? Every time he tried to work it out, his mind came up blank. Both of them were forceful and sure, though the ‘run and hide in the gym’ behaviour had him wondering about Hux. They were both career minded and driven, and they probably were good in bed together, but... ????_ _

__???_ _

__?_ _

__Kylo was wandering a corridor, just for the sake of stretching his legs, when he felt it. A small, buzzing, malevolent presence at the periphery of his attention. Someone irked and vicious._ _

__Ah._ _

__He wondered when he’d be questioned._ _

__“Ren.”_ _

__What was it with blasted military types and barking his last name like that? What happened to ‘Sir’, or ‘Lord Ren’?”_ _

__“I am aware of my own title,” he sniped back at her._ _

__“You’ve been avoiding me. And my questions.”_ _

__“On the contrary, you’ve simply not been around to pose them.”_ _

__Hah. Take that, stupid short woman._ _

__Kylo really didn’t know why he disliked her as much as he did. Probably innate protectiveness. No one got to piss his General off but him, after all._ _

__“I want to ask you about the events on the Starkiller.”_ _

__“It’s a matter of record. You may read my file.”_ _

__Her eyes sharpened at that, and he loved his mask, he did. Right now he could roll his eyes and smirk at her, and she could only hear and see what he wanted her to hear and see._ _

__“You did not inform Hux about the presence of Han Solo on the planet.”_ _

__“ _General_ Hux,” he corrected her._ _

__“Why was that?”_ _

__“Are you questioning the Supreme Leader’s orders?”_ _

__“I’m asking you a question.”_ _

__“As am I.”_ _

__(Kylo maybe slightly began to see why Hux had liked her. Slightly.)_ _

__“You are bound to answer my questions, Lord Ren.”_ _

__Ah, now she used his title._ _

__“Am I?”_ _

__“The Supreme Leader gives me full autonomy.”_ _

__“Even over the Knights of Ren? Tell me, how many of my Knights have you had cause to interrogate? None? So do you truly think your jurisdiction covers matters of the Force? Matters you would never begin to understand?”_ _

__“I can see why he likes you.”_ _

__Wait, what?_ _

__“...the Supreme L—”_ _

__“I’m not talking about Snoke, you idiot. I’m talking about Hux.”_ _

__Kylo almost launched into the ‘what do you mean he likes me, he hates me, we’re mostly at each other’s throats all we do is eat lunch together and sometimes talk and this is all a farce he barely agreed to perpetuate and then told me he’d want to break it off’ speech. It was a close run thing. In the end, he shrugged._ _

__“What we do in private is none of your concern.”_ _

__... ~~did Hux like him, even a little?~~_ _

__“If it causes friction without benefit, weakness without strength, and torn loyalties... then it does concern me, Ren. I have to get this unit back to full operational strength. Either you’re good for him, or you’re not. And that’s what I need to find out.”_ _

__***_ _

__“It is not funny.”_ _

__“It... it is. She’s... she wants to vet you?”_ _

__Kylo threw one of the holos from the shelf at Hux’s head. “Yes. But we’ve convinced her we’re an item, now. So that’s one small step.”_ _

__“Our relationship is incredibly dull.”_ _

__Kylo was going to stab him. And then he was going to put bits of metal in him. And then seal him up. And then use a strong electromagnet on him, in order to remove the metal shards from his barely-healed body. “I do apologise. I wasn’t aware I was supposed to seduce you.”_ _

__“Not... not just that. I mean... what do we even _do_?”_ _

__“What did you do with her?”_ _

__Hux choked. Kylo was proud._ _

__“...you really want to know?”_ _

__“Yes.” No. Yes. No._ _

__“...very, very intense sex,” the General purred, fingers doing things to inanimate objects that somehow had more appeal than anything he’d ever seen him touch, ever. “And... arguments. And then sexual arguments. And argumentative sex.”_ _

__Kylo was and wasn’t expecting an answer, and it just confirmed all he’d suspected for so long: Hux got off on conflict and tension. If the words weren’t enough, the sultry tone and the glassy, glazed, hungry look in his eyes would have sold it._ _

__“I see.”_ _

__A shrug, expansive and then Hux cocked his head to one side. “Do you?”_ _

__“You enjoy the challenge. I did wonder if it was purely the physical element for you...”_ _

__Hux’s lips curled into a small smile. “No. The mental, too. We had a good run of it, but it could never last long-term. We are too... it would not work.”_ _

___Why?_ He didn’t understand those kinds of relationships enough, and he was possessed of an urge to push into Hux’s mind and find out the sordid details. How did two pushy, loud, controlling people fit together? Did they continue to butt heads? Did one of them cede? Did they take it in turns? Was there some kind of agreement in place?_ _

__Did Hux... did he...?_ _

__“Ren?”_ _

__Hux’s expression was complicated, and Kylo swallowed, hard. “I am just... trying to assimilate the information enough to make our own relationship believable.”_ _

__“Our fake relationship.”_ _

__“Real enough that she believes it.” He was annoyed, and he didn’t even know why. Jealous of a love affair that had failed, and aggravated that Hux wasn’t taking this as seriously as he was._ _

__“You remember we’re doing this to keep her off me, Ren. Nothing more.”_ _

__Nothing more._ _

__***_ _

__Fake relationships went through stormy periods the same as real relationships. That’s what Kylo said to himself when they met professionally the next day. He, Hux, and Equilan. He was simply being realistic when he strode out to meet them with long, heel-clipping swings of his legs. When he loomed over them both (a few inches went a long way). When he shot down everything Hux said._ _

__Over. And over._ _

__It wasn’t petty. It was perfectly normal. Darkside Knights, Masters in their own right, didn’t have to let upstart little shit Generals get away with murder._ _

__He saw the momentary flash of betrayal in Hux’s eye, felt the stomach-wound jab of pain, and he didn’t care. In fact, he liked it. He liked it, and he wanted more._ _

__“We agreed there would be—”_ _

__“Not in matters of the **Force** ,” Kylo cut him off. “I have full freedom when it is something you could never understand.”_ _

__“Ren. Just because I am not Force-sensitive...”_ _

__“No, and never will you be. It is impossible for you to make judgements about something you are incapable of seeing.”_ _

__“I may not be able to see some magical floating power, but I can see when something’s a damn fool’s errand!”_ _

__“You _cannot_ and **will not** ever comprehend the intricacies of the Force!” He reached out with a hand, not sure where it was coming from, but knowing it had to happen. A grip around his throat (he had never, not ever, not once done this to Hux) and dragged him up and up until only his toes scraped the ground. _ _

__Kylo let Hux claw at the air, his eyes going wide with pure hatred, his face red from the constriction. “REN. ENOUGH.”_ _

__“I say when it is enough.”_ _

__Harder, just a little harder, just enough to—_ _

__“Don’t stop on my account,” Equilan said. Her voice sounded decidedly delighted, and Kylo felt cold. Cold and sick._ _

__He let go of Hux, let him fall back to the balls of his feet, sputtering and fuming._ _

__“The Force will not be bound by your bureaucracy,” he spat. And fled._ _

__***_ _

__Okay. Perhaps he’d gone a little too far. Perhaps. But Kylo had a temper, and it wasn’t something that came as a surprise to anyone who knew him. None whatsoever. He tried his best to contain it, but sometimes it spilled over._ _

__He did things, then, that he wasn’t proud of. He couched them in the mantle of The Dark Side Is Strong And Ineffable, but that was just as much Bantha-shit as the damned Jedi nonsense was._ _

__He had a temper. He let his temper control him. He let his rage fuel his power. He let it do things he wanted, or thought he wanted. That was that._ _

__And there was absolutely no way he was going to apologise, or even go near Hux. The damned midget woman could have him, for all he cared. He’d tried to be nice to him, tried to offer him some support, and it had – it was – it..._ _

__Kylo flicked out his saber and prepared to thrash another terminal to within an inch of being a molten puddle, when he heard the tiny throat clearing behind him._ _

__“ **Go away**.”_ _

__“Ren. We need to—”_ _

__“I said: LEAVE.”_ _

__He could make him. He could push him away with his mind, easily. Could snap his neck with a breath, a thought. Could force him to his knees, with his mouth slammed shut and voiceless. Could..._ _

__“Not until you tell me why you suddenly hate me?”_ _

__“It’s not sudden. I always hated you.”_ _

__“...true enough, once. But I—” Hux hesitated, and he rarely did. “Never mind.”_ _

__Kylo turned, his blade still humming in his hand. “What? You thought because I offered to _help_ you, that this was something else?”_ _

__“People who hate other people don’t offer to help them.”_ _

__They might. They might if they wanted to fuck with the other person’s head. They might if they wanted to betray them. Or it suited some long agenda. Or, or, or._ _

__“It was a mistake.”_ _

__“Evidently. It is no matter. I believe Equilan believed our charade enough. She will be leaving the ship, shortly, and giving her recommendations to the Supreme Leader.” A pause. “I highly suspect one of them will be that we are removed from one another’s company, indefinitely.”_ _

__Wait... what? Kylo stiffened. How would that even work? The _Finalizer_ was Snoke’s crowning glory, his flagship. One or both of them would have to be – well – demoted. Even if not in rank, to be removed from the ship would be career homicide. _ _

__“Why?”_ _

__“Because of... inter-personal conflict.”_ _

__“...because I tried to choke you?”_ _

__“Because she thinks we’re actually together.”_ _

__“...why is that a problem? We’re—”_ _

__“Peers. Yes. But we also need to be able to work together. And if we act out our so-called bedroom differences on a grander scale, if we pursue our... emotional... disturbances and risk troops, or craft, or even the First Order itself...”_ _

__It was a stupid joke. It wasn’t supposed to – he was helping! He wasn’t trying to get Hux kicked off the damn ship. The _Finalizer_ was his life, in ways that it wasn’t Kylo’s. First the Starkiller, now this? _ _

__“Why did you agree to fake-date me, if you knew this might happen?”_ _

__Hux’s eyes slid away._ _

__“Hux.”_ _

__“I didn’t think through every variable. As ever. It is... it is... how we lost the Starkiller.”_ _

__“That was **not** your fault.”_ _

__“Wasn’t it?” And Hux looked back at him, then, emotion bleeding through over his face where normally it wouldn’t. “I screwed up, R-- _Kylo_. I lost the whole planet. And why? Because of a series of problems I didn’t think to anticipate.”_ _

__“There are _always_ problems you don’t anticipate.”_ _

__“Only in failures. A success... a successful p—”_ _

__Kylo turned his saber off, and clicked it to his belt. He walked in closer, and he gripped Hux’s upper arms. The man tensed under his touch, as wound as Kylo ever could be. As..._ _

__...conflicted. Hurting. Torn. _Self-hating_._ _

__“No.” He said it, softly. “Things will go wrong. Things will always go wrong. You cannot plan every variable, General. There are problems you can never predict. And even if you can, there are some risks that you simply cannot remove entirely.”_ _

__“If I were a better soldier, then—”_ _

__“Then you would exist in a world that isn’t real. One where everything can be known. You’d not be a Human, you’d be a machine. You’d be a character in a holosim.”_ _

__“But—”_ _

__“It’s okay.” He wasn’t sure where this calm came from, but it had come. The other’s panic and self-doubt had cut through his own anger, and moved... pity? Empathy. Empathy within him. He didn’t want Hux to keep hurting, and he... had to help. “It’s okay.”_ _

__A punch landed in his side – his bad side. A fist curled and pushed from the hip into a wound barely healed. Kylo grit his teeth hard, and took it. It hurt like hell, because it aggravated the injury, and it reminded him of his _own_ failures that day. Failures which were many and varied._ _

__“It’s not okay,” Hux growled. “It’s not. It’s—”_ _

__He put a hand on the back of Hux’s neck, and pulled him into his chest. There was a loud scream, muffled into his shoulder, and three, four more punches before the tension drained out of him. Kylo took every one, every last one, and simply ran his thumb over the back of his neck._ _

__“It is. It isn’t the failure that defines you, Hux. It’s what you do next.”_ _

__They stood like that for some time, until the fight went out of him. Kylo didn’t mind at all._ _

__***_ _

__At some point, they moved to the couch. It wasn’t the most comfortable of places, but it was the best they could do. Hux had tensed in his arms, but eventually submitted to being held. It wasn’t even sexual, it was just... closeness._ _

__Eventually, Hux had fallen asleep mostly lying on Kylo’s lap, and Kylo had tried to make it as comfortable as possible for him. He’d stroked his fingers through his hair, over his scalp, and realised he didn’t want to lose him._ _

__No matter what. No matter if this was all they were, if they were just... friends... if they were... _actually_ friends who could confide in one another, who could let their guards down and their weaknesses show... he didn’t want to lose the only person he’d come close to trusting in decades._ _

__Which meant they had to change their plan of attack._ _

__Equilan was due to leave within a cycle, a cycle and a half at most. Whatever they did, they had to do quickly. Kylo wasn’t sure how he could pull it off, but he knew he had to give it his best shot._ _

__Hell. If he had to insist on Hux’s presence to the Supreme Leader, he would. Not that he knew how to do that, because ‘he’s the only one I’ve ever felt able to open up to, and I value his opinion and his bravery and his dedication and if you take him away I might well just try to murder you for it’ was likely a bad thing to say._ _

__Eventually, Hux was tired enough that Kylo could lift him gently. He stirred, restless, but Kylo brushed his lips over his temple. “You need some rest,” he said, taking him to the bed._ _

__“I need to fix this mess,” Hux whispered, curled against his chest and clearly still drained._ _

__“You already have,” Kylo told him. “You got me on your side. And I’m not taking no for an answer.”_ _

__Fingers found his sleeve, eyes begging for some kind of explanation, some... sense to it all. “Kylo. I can’t have you fight my battles for me.”_ _

__“Sometimes you have to. Sometimes you have to recognise that you need others to help you, Hux. That you can’t do it all by yourself.”_ _

__He laid him gently down, and pulled the blanket up and over him. “Wait here.”_ _

__Fingers reached out, and glanced against his wrist. Kylo smiled._ _

__“I’ll fix this.”_ _

__“Okay.”_ _

__***_ _

__“Isn’t it a little late to try to influence me, Lord Ren?”_ _

__“It’s never too late to try to fix something.”_ _

__The Troubleshooter said nothing, her head cocked, inviting more._ _

__“You will recommend that General Hux remains in control of the _Finalizer_.”_ _

__“I will?”_ _

__“Yes.”_ _

__“And why would I do that? Why should I listen to you?”_ _

__“Because I trust him. It was a series of failures that lead to the loss of Starkiller, and... I contributed to that.”_ _

__“You did?”_ _

__Kylo nodded. “I was acting on the Supreme Leader’s guidance. But I... could have done things differently.” It was hard to admit, but he had to._ _

__“And how do I know this won’t happen again?”_ _

__“You don’t. You can’t stop problems from happening. You _can_ learn from every one. General Hux and I are a strong working team. We have our differences, but we respect and admire one another.”_ _

__Piercing eyes roamed his face, looking for any sense of deceit. “Does he know?”_ _

__“Know... what?”_ _

__“That you love him? Or that you’re starting to?”_ _

__Kylo flinched._ _

__“I know the man almost as well as you do, you know. Maybe better than he knows himself.”_ _

__“It is not... forbidden...”_ _

__“No, and it’s also not encouraged,” she countered. “Especially for one such as yourself. You know that. You know the Supreme Leader will test your loyalties, at some point. Make you choose between him and Hux.”_ _

__“...and will you... talk to him of this?”_ _

__She nodded._ _

__“What will you tell him?”_ _

__“That I think you two need one another. You’re both hot-headed assholes, no offence. It takes one to know one... And you need someone who will shout at you when you make a stupid mistake. There’s not many who would face down our Hux, and I’m sure you feel the same way. As long as you both pull in the same direction, your bickering will keep the First Order strong.”_ _

__“...and if we... don’t?”_ _

__“You’ll both go down in a blaze the likes of which I haven’t seen in many years.” A shrug. “You’re either destined for greatness, or destined for destruction. It’s often hard to tell which is the stronger pull.”_ _

__Kylo felt a little cold at that. “I see.”_ _

__“It will be in the Supreme Leader’s hands. He will decide your fate. But... for what it’s worth? I’m hoping you work it all out.”_ _

__The Knight wondered why Hux had given up on Equilan. She might be stubborn, but she cared about him in her own way. He could see, now. She didn’t hate him for stealing Hux, and he was grateful._ _

__“Thank you.”_ _

__“Now go show him what you just told me, you idiot. He’s pining away like a fool for you. If you weren’t such an obstinate idiot, you’d have noticed already. But it’s likely why he likes you so much.”_ _

__Kylo grit his teeth, hard._ _

__***_ _

__“What happened?” Hux looked like he was about ready to bolt when Kylo got back to his quarters. “Am I to be left on the nearest inhabited planet?”_ _

__“Not just yet. She’s going to recommend we remain posted together.” He walked over, and sat on the edge of the bed. Hux was clearly still fully dressed under everything._ _

__The sudden arch of brows was reward enough. “How?”_ _

__“I told her that it would be a mistake to split us up, and she agreed.”_ _

__“...she did?”_ _

__“Apparently, we’re stronger together. Because... we... work well. As a unit.”_ _

__“Kylo, I just punched your gut because I thought I was getting airlocked. I don’t think we—”_ _

__The younger man reached out: a hand on his face, a thumb brushing his cheek. “If you are honest with me, and I am honest with you, then our arguing will only mean we come to the best possible conclusions and decisions, Hux.”_ _

__“And not end up with someone storming off in a huff?”_ _

__Kylo deserved that. “Yes. Or... perhaps only for a short time to calm down, before sense is seen. You... understand the tactical, the practical. I understand... the emotional. The Force. We... can balance one another. Challenge one another. Help one another.”_ _

__“You know you’re an ass, right?” There was a small smile on his face when he said that._ _

__“Yes, but I’m your ass.”_ _

__“What about the Supreme Leader?”_ _

__“We will have to convince him, as well. I... suspect it will be challenging. But if you are prepared to fight for this, then I am, too.”_ _

__What even was ‘this’? Kylo didn’t know. He knew it was trust, and mutual benefit. He knew it was openness, and vulnerability. He knew it was... them._ _

__“Is this how you seduce all your victims, Ren? Put them into your bed, then tell them they’re special?”_ _

__“Only the truly special.” Only you. “We have been dating for two weeks, you know.”_ _

__“And you haven’t kissed me once.”_ _

__“Would you like me to?”_ _

__Hux growled and grabbed Kylo by the front of his robes, pulling him in closer. “Only if you take off the damn mask. I don’t want the Knight of Ren. Not right now. I want Kylo.”_ _

__Kylo smiled._ _

__“Of course.”_ _

__***_ _

__Kissing turned out to be quite nice, after all. When the helmet came off and fell to the floor, Hux launched himself at Kylo in a flurry of long-repressed wanting. Hux had grabbed his shirt in one hand, and pushed the other into his hair._ _

__To begin with, Kylo didn’t know where you put your nose, or your hands, or anything, really. He’d never kissed someone like this, or been kissed (which was more accurate as a description of the current state of play). Hux’s lips were warm and soft, and though he had to keep fighting the urge to apologise when they both pushed at the same time, or when teeth clashed slightly, or when his foot started to tap the floor under the push of tongue to tongue... he could get used to this. Get used to tasting him, under his lips. Get used to the feel of fingers in his locks, stroking and tugging him this way and that._ _

__Either Hux was a natural, or someone had taught him how to do this wonderfully. Kylo decided he didn’t care which was true for the moment, and any jealousy over past lovers could come later. Hux was his, now. His, and he’d fight for him. He felt just a sting of teeth on his tongue, and it sent sparks right down into his core, a blossoming heat that was as vibrant as the Force itself. All the way down inside, somewhere deep and hungry, somewhere he’d known was empty, but hadn’t known what it would feel like to be filled._ _

__There were too many clothes in the way. He had a man in his bed who still had his boots on, for Force’s sake. Kylo pulled back from the kiss just long enough to look into slightly-glazed eyes._ _

__“What’s wrong?” Hux asked, his voice... rough._ _

__“Your boots are.”_ _

__“My... boots?”_ _

__“Off, Hux.”_ _

__“You’re the one who put me into your bed like this.”_ _

__“I was saving our relationship, and your career.”_ _

__“Always an excuse.”_ _

__The bickering was nice, and Kylo slammed a fist made wholly of the Force into Hux’s chest, pinning him down. He threw the sheets to one side, and then looked up for permission._ _

__Hux blinked in shock, but nodded. He hissed between his teeth as Kylo started to unlace the stays on his feet, pulling leather and rubber free. His socks rucked down a little in the process, an over hang of fabric that just begged to be removed. Kylo pinched into the empty space between two toes and pulled the offending articles off._ _

__“...they’re ticklish,” Hux said, looking... pained._ _

__“Unpleasantly so?”_ _

__A nod._ _

__Kylo took that on board for later, and put his hands up against his inner ankles, instead. “Better?”_ _

__The relief was palpable. “Yes. Much.”_ _

__The Knight had never undressed anyone before, not like this. He didn’t want Hux to know how nervous he was, but judging from the rapid, fierce beat of his heart in his ribcage... Hux was, too. He slid his hands up over the other man’s calves, thighs, and then set to work unbuttoning his shirt from the stomach upwards. As he went, pale skin was exposed, and he leaned closer to place soft kisses to anything he could reach._ _

__“Kylo...”_ _

__“Let me,” he asked. Not insisted: asked. He wanted to unwrap his General, wanted to make him feel good. After all, they _had_ been dating for a while, now. It was about time he put out, right?_ _

__“Alright...”_ _

__Hux was still held down by the Force, but he wasn’t going to do that indefinitely. Just long enough to get him undressed, to let Kylo get used to the idea of being around a naked man. This naked man. He explored with his lips as his fingers peeled clothing back and towards his wrists. Hux had few scars, but there were gorgeous little freckles that begged for him to kiss between, and he explored with a growing confidence. Up, and up, and up and – brace yourself, Kylo – a soft kiss to one dusky nipple._ _

__That got him the loudest moan yet, so Kylo repeated it. He mouthed dryly at the little nub, doing it until Hux was a panting mess... then licking it wet and moving across to the other._ _

__Hux keened. “My hands... Kylo. Please. My hands.”_ _

__Kylo nodded, and made sure he could move them._ _

__He was rewarded by fingers moving to push into his hair, teasing over his scalp and finding the places that made him hiss in pleasure, curling behind the ears and sending Kylo’s eyes black. He kept up the tonguing over his second nipple, wondering how hard he could get the other before he begged for it. Hopefully very._ _

__“You’re... good at that,” Hux said, voice sounding wrecked._ _

__“Well. I am a quick learner.”_ _

__“...you...?”_ _

__He shook his head in answer to whatever question, and was surprised when a hand at the back of his neck insisted he move up higher. Higher, higher, until he was being kissed all over again. Hands curled around Hux’s biceps as they made out: a rough, hungry undertone to it this time._ _

__When it broke, he was breathless._ _

__“Never?”_ _

__“No.”_ _

__“Kylo...”_ _

__“Just tell me if I screw anything up, okay? I promise, I learn fast when it’s something I want to. And... just... let me? I want to show you how much you mean to me.”_ _

__Hux nodded, and his chest heaved. “Okay. You’re doing pretty damn amazing so far.”_ _

__“Thank you.”_ _

__Shirt open, Kylo moved to kneel between Hux’s thighs. He stroked the thick muscles, admiring how he was actually much stronger than he looked. Hux was trying to squirm, to writhe under the pressure holding him down, and Kylo took pity on him. He slipped a hand between his legs, cupping his groin through the fabric, and let go of the weight bearing him down into the bed._ _

__“MAKER!” Hux yelled, and shot almost upright, clutching onto Kylo for dear life._ _

__Kylo grinned, and felt for the shape of him through the material parting them. “You... like me touching you there?”_ _

__“Kylo Ren, you might be new to this, but even you must understand how basic biology works!”_ _

__“Perhaps I just want to hear you say it.”_ _

__“Yes! Fine! Yes! I like it when you touch my damn dick, okay? I’d like it more if I could touch yours, too.”_ _

__“Patience.”_ _

__“I’m not a damn Jedi.”_ _

__“Neither am I.”_ _

__He felt brave, so he started to unbuckle the other’s belt, which was when Hux realised he’d stopped pinning him down. He realised it because all of a sudden there were fingers brusquely removing his cloak, and fighting to remove his shirt. It made focussing on his own task harder, as he had to... and..._ _

__“...is there an easier way to do this?” the Knight grumbled._ _

__“Yes. You stop trying to paw my dick and let me get you naked. And then me naked. And then we do the next thing.”_ _

__“Why are you the one doing all the... nakeding?”_ _

__“Disrobing. Undressing. Both perfectly good words, and you go for ‘nakeding’?”_ _

__Kylo rolled his eyes, and dropped onto his haunches. Fighting the wave of fear, he tugged everything off his top half, and flung it with abandon onto the floor._ _

__Hux also removed his open shirt, meaning they were both topless. And in bed. Together._ _

__The taller man froze, and watched Hux’s eyes. He saw nothing but approval in them, and it was somewhat surprising._ _

__“You work out,” Hux said._ _

__“My anger keeps me in good condition.”_ _

__“You must be incandescent with rage, then.”_ _

__Kylo snorted, and stayed still to allow fingers to glance over his chest. They started up by his collarbone, then followed the arches and curves of muscle and bone. They danced lightly lower, then hesitated above... oh. Above the hideous bowcaster scar on his waistline._ _

__“Are you still refusing medication for it?”_ _

__“There is no risk of infection, now. The internal damage is healed, and the skin has closed over the wound.”_ _

__“But it hurts?”_ _

__Kylo... paused. Nodded. He bit his lip and held his breath as the touch trailed around the edges, never quite touching the raw skin._ _

__“You need it to hurt.”_ _

__Another nod._ _

__Hux accepted that, and then his hands moved to Kylo’s hips. He peered up, and then moved to slide the heel of his palm across the front of his black pants. Kylo cut his fingernails into his own palms, his control wavering under the tease._ _

__“You like that?” Hux asked, grinning wickedly._ _

__“You need me to draw you a diagram?”_ _

__“Maybe I need to hear _you_ say it.”_ _

__He growled, and draped arms around Hux’s shoulders. Hux was sat upright, now, with Kylo straddling his hips. Kylo tried to rock into his hand, but the man kept pulling back._ _

__“Fine. Yes: I like it when you touch my dick. Happy?”_ _

__“Infinitely.”_ _

__Kylo wondered if normal relationships were like this? He only really knew the examples of his family, and then what you saw on holos. The romanticised version of love, which sometimes started out as bickering and then the arguments fell away. That, or the gooey, sappy, flowers-and-candy types. He’d never be the flowers-and-candy type (and neither, he thought wryly, had his parents been). But weren’t you supposed to stop bickering when you got into bed?_ _

__He hoped not. He liked the fighting as much as anything else._ _

__“We could wear even _fewer_ clothes,” Hux suggested, his fingers working through the black layers, trying to find the warm skin below. _ _

__“Are you suggesting I agree to a sexual liaison with you?”_ _

__“We’ve been dating two weeks, you threw me in your bed, and you just told my ex to back off and leave us in peace, and then declared war on the Supreme Leader himself if he tries to split us up, Kylo.”_ _

__“Doesn’t mean I want to fuck you.”_ _

__“Who said anything about fucking?”_ _

__Hux’s fingers found him, then, and Kylo yelped at the sudden warmth of bare skin touching bare skin. He’d never... and... and... he bit down on Hux’s lip, made the other man gasp in muted pain so he could fuck into his mouth as hard as he dared. That made Hux’s grip on his cock tighten, and then he was jerking him roughly off._ _

__Well, ‘fucking’ might not be on the cards for their first time, but Kylo was damn well going to give as good as he got. He pushed his own hand into Hux’s too-starched pants, struggling until he could get the other man’s shaft out into the air. He tried to echo what Hux himself was doing, stroking him as he was stroked._ _

__It was... it was ludicrously hot. Kylo felt like he was both masturbating and not; the gestures he did to Hux happening on his own cock, but it wasn’t his own cock in his hand. And it was nice, feeling Hux’s thighs shake under his own, hearing his breathing go lost and ragged. He watched the other’s eyes go distant, then focussed, then distant again. He really was beautiful, in a severe, bitter kind of way. A passion and a craving and a yearning and that soft, soft underbelly he tried so hard to hide. The weaknesses he despised anyone for seeing, the fear and self-loathing._ _

__Kylo saw much of himself in Hux. He suspected that’s why they needed this, why they needed one another. He curled his free hand behind Hux’s neck, and held him in for soft, tiny kisses._ _

__“It’s okay, General,” he whispered, thumb grazing roughly over the tip of his dick. “You’re safe with me.”_ _

__Which was what tipped him finally over the edge, and Kylo felt a wave of possessive, protective satisfaction at that. That he could bring the man off with his hand, his words. He kissed the strangled cry from Hux’s mouth, beating every last drop of come from him. It splattered between them, over bellies and clothed thighs, and then – oh god – and then..._ _

__“And you with me,” Hux promised in return. His voice was a wreck, his hand on Kylo’s cock going messy and uncoordinated: passion, instead of order._ _

__Kylo cried out at the sudden pinch (a pain he needed, a pain he deserved, a pain he **craved** ), and he knew it was okay for him, too. Okay to spill and mix his seed with Hux’s, for them to cement their union. As equals. As partners. _ _

__And when they were both done... they simply curled in closer. Not caring about the messy splatters that marked them, just... safe. Safe to relax, safe to be._ _

__Home. Kylo nosed behind Hux’s ear, smiling to himself. He was home. And it was good._ _

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was for a fake relationship, of course!


End file.
